Means for detecting slugs in coincontrolled mechanisms



Jan. 4, 1966 H. 1'. PROBASCO 3,227,257

CONTROLLED MECHANISMS Filed May 25, 1964 MEANS FOR DETECTING SLUGS IN COIN- FIG.- 2

FIG-4 INVENTOR. #42040 ZPeoansao BY )6 477'O/QA/EVS United States Patent 9 O 3,227,257 MEANS FOR DETECTING SLUGS [N COIN- CONTROLLED MECHANISMS Harold T. Probasco, 6531 Noble Ave.,

- Van Nuys, Calif. Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 370,013 4 Claims. (Cl. 19461) This invention relates to means for detecting slugs in coin-controlled mechanisms, were particularly to coincontrolled mechanisms which are manually operated to dispense merchandise from a vending machine.

Included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a slug-detecting means which senses an undersize slug or a slug formed of crushable material to cause the coin-controlled mechanism to lock against manual rotation beyond a predetermined point, but permits return movement of the mechanism to its initial or coin-receiving position. i

Second, to provide a slug'detecting mechanism of this type which may be incorporated with other slug-detecting and testing means without interference therewith.

Third, to provide a slug-detecting mechanism of this type which, although capable of detecting slugs that differ only slightly from the proper coin, is particularly rugged and dependable even when subjected to the abuses which typically occur in the operation of coin-controlled vending machines.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a coin-controlled vending machine showing the front side of the coin-controlled mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged back side view of the coin-controlled mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary back view with portions of the rear or back plate removed, showing the operation of the mechanism when a coin of proper size has been inserted;

FIG. 4 is a similar fragmentary view showing the machine when a slug of reduced size, has been inserted in a conjunction with a vending machine, such as the vending machine illustrated in FIG. 1. A machine of this type includes a base structure 1 in the front of which is fitted the coin-controlled mechanism 2, and above which is positioned a merchandise container 3. Manual operation of the coin-controlled mechanism causes a predeterr mined quantity of the merchandise to be delivered to a chute closed by a gate 4 located at the front side of the machine and manually operable topermit discharge of the vended merchandise.

The coin-controlled mechanism 2 includes a front plate 5 and a back plate 6 joined together by screws 7. The upper edge wall 8 of the front plate 5 is provided with a coin slot 9. Journalled between the plates on a shaft 10 is a coin wheel or disk 11. A handle 12 is attached to the shaft 10 and extends from the front plate 5 so that the shaft 10 and coin wheel 11 maybe rotated a full turn.

The inner or back side of the shaft 10 is provided with a sprocket 13 which is employed to drive a conventional vending mechanism. Forwardly of the sprocket 13 the shaft 10 is provided with cams 14 which are engaged by a spring 15 in such a manner that, for a predetermined range of travel either side of its coin-receiving position, the coin wheel or disk 11 is urged towards its coin-receiving position.

The coin wheel or disk 11 is provided with a pair of concentric ribs 16 which are interrupted to define the sides of a coin-receiving recess. A stop pin 17 is disposed radially inward from this region to define the radial inner etxremity of the coin-receiving recess. The front plate 5 is provided with an inspection opening 18 located below the coin slot 9, and the coin wheel or disk 11 is provided, within the region of the coin-receiving recess, with an inspection notch 19 which aligns with the opening 18 when the coin wheel 11 is in position to receive the coin.

Thefront plate 5 is provided with a circular guard rib 20 extending around the periphery of the coin wheel 11 so as to retain a coin in the coin-receiving recess. guard rib 20 is interrupted below the coin slot 9 to'receive a coin, and is also interrupted approximately 45 counterclockwise from the coin slot 9, as viewed from the back side of the mechanism, for cooperation with a size-sensing lever 21.

The size-sensing lever 21 is essentially L-shaped to form a horizontal sensing arm 22 and a depending finger 23. The lever 21 is pivoted at the juncture between the sensing arm 22 and depending finger 23 by means of a pivot shaft or boss 24. The extremity of the sensing arm 22 is provided with an arcuate sensing edge 25 which is movable radially in the space provided in the guard rib 21. A spring 26 urges the sensing edge 25 radially inward. r

Mounted at one side of the lower portion of the coin wheel 11 on a pivot 27 extending from the front plate 5 is a latch lever 28. The latch lever is provided with an upwardly directed arcuate edge 29 which is pivotable into contact with the coin wheel 11 through an interrupted portion of the guard rib 20.

At an appropriate point in the coin wheel 11 there is provided a latch notch 30 engageable by the arcuate edge 29. The latch lever 28 also includes an upwardly extending finger 31 which is engageable with the end of the depending finger 23. A spring 32 urges the latch lever 28 toward engagement with the coin wheel 11.

Operation of the means for detecting slugsin coincontrolled mechanisms is as follows:

-It will be observed that the fingers 23 and 31 mutually engage at a point adjacent to but at one side of a line between the axes of the pivots 24 and 27. Also, the engaging ends of the fingers are relatively narrow. Still further, the finger 23 is relatively long compared to the length of the sensing arm 22. As a consequence, only slight pivotal movement of the sensing lever 22 is required to cause the finger 23 to disengage from the finger 31. This relatively slight movement is utilized to sense the difference between a coin as shown in FIG. 3 and a slug as shown in FIG. 4. r

When the fingers 23 and 31 are in mutual engagement, as shown in FIG. 3, the arcuate latching edge 29 of the lever 28 is held clear of the coin wheel 11. However, when the finger 31 is free of the finger 23, the latch lever 28 is urged by the spring 32 to cause the arcuate edge. 29 to engage the periphery of the coil wheel 11. The latch notch 30 is so located on the coin wheel 11 that on release of the latch lever 28 the edge 29 engages the latch notch 30, as shown in FIG. 3, to restrain the coin Wheel 11 against further rotation in" the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. The coin wheel 11, however, is free to return to its initialposition indicated by the dotted line of the not-ch 19 in FIG. 2.

The coin wheel 11 is relieved at one side of the notch Patented Jan. 4, 1966 19 to form a shoulder 33. The sensing edge 25 is, therefore, movable within the periphery of the coin wheel 11 to engage the shoulder 33, should an undersize slug be carried by the wheel 11. This arrangement permits the sensing arm 22 to engage the shoulder 33 and prevent forward rotation of the wheel 11'.

In the normal operation of the coin-controlled mechanism, the fingers 23 and 31 remain in mutual engagement. However, upon disengagement, as indicated in FIG. 4, and upon return movement of the wheel 11 to its initial position shown in FIG. 2, the periphery of the coin wheel 11 pivots the latch lever 28 in a counterclockwise direction toward the dotted position shown in FIG. 4, which corresponds to the solid position shown in FIG; 3. The periphery of the wheel 11 also forces the sensing edge 25 outward, pivoting the lever 21 in a counterclockwise position so as to bring the finger 23 into registry with the finger 31, thus resetting the slug-dectecting means.

The interrupted ends of the ribs 16 and the stop pin 17 have, purposely, relatively small dimensions so as to provide essentially point contact with the coin or slug. As aconsequence, if the slug be formed of paper or cardboard, and although initially of proper diameter, it will crush sutficiently at its edges, by pressure of the sensing edge 25 thereon, to have an eiiectively smaller diameter and cause the coin wheel 11 to be locked against further rotation.

The coin after passing the detecting means is carried into a notched-out portion 34 formed in the back plate 6 for discharge into a collecting chamber, not shown.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin-controlled mechanism;

(a) a manually rotatable wheel having means defining a coin-receiving recess and a latch-notch circumferentially displaced from said recess;

(b) a first lever having a detecting extremity operable, on rotation of said wheel, to confront and engage a coin or slug present in said recess, and a first finger occupying a first position on engagement of said detecting extremity with a coin in said recess, and occupying a second position on engagement of said detecting extremity with a slug of inferior size in said recess;

(c) a second lever having a latching extremity engageable with said notch to lock said wheel against rotation in at least one direction, and a second finger disposed for registering with said first finger when said first finger is in said first position, to hold said latching extremity clear of said notch and to clear said first finger when said first finger is in its second position to permit engagement of said locking extremity in said notch;

(d) and yieldable means biasing said levers toward said recess and said notch respectively.

2. In a coin-controlled mechanism;

a) a manually rotatable wheel having means defining a coin-remiving recess and a latch notch circumferentially displaced from said recess;

(b) detecting means engageable with the periphery of said wheel and operable, on rotation of said wheel, a predetermined distance from its coin-receiving position, to engage a coin if present in said recess and restrained thereby in a first position clearing said recess to permit movement of said wheel past I saiddetecting 'means;

(c) said detecting means being movable to a further position in the absence of a coin therein or in the presence of a slug of inferior diameter;

(d) latch means restrained by said detecting means,

when said detecting means is in its first position, and released from said detecting means, when said detecting means moves to its further position, to engage said notch, thereby to lock said wheel against 5 further rotation;

(e) yieldable means engaging said detecting means to exert a bearing pressure against a coin or slug present in said recess;

(f) and a stop of small surface area in said recess adapted to indent the margin of a slug of soft material thereby to permit movement of said detecting means to its further position.

3. In a coin-controlled mechanism;

(a) a manually rotatable wheel having means defin ing a coin-receiving recess and a latch notch ci r' cumferentially displaced from said recess;

(b) a pivotal detecting means engageable with theperiphery of said wheel and operable, on rotation of said wheel, a predetermined distance from its coin-receiving position, to engage a coin if present in said recess and restrained thereby in a first position clearing said recess to permit movement of said wheel past said detecting means;

(0) said detecting means being movable to a further position in the absence of a coin therein or in the presence of a slug of inferior diameter;

(d) a pivotal latch means having a first position clear of said wheel and a second position engaging the walls of said notch to limit movement of said wheel away from its coin-receiving position, said latch means being engageable by said Wheel for movement to its first position on back rotation of said wheel to its coin-receiving position;

(c) said detecting means and said latching means having fingers extending toward each other from their respective pivotal axes and mutually engage able at a point in close proximity to a plane passing, through said axes to hold said latch means in; its first position when said detecting means is in its first position;

(f) said detecting means finger being disengaged oni movement of said detecting means to its further! position thereby to permit engagement of said latch means with said notch.

4. In a coin-controlled mechanism;

(a) a manually rotatable wheel having means defining a coin-receiving recess and a latch notch circumferentially displaced from said recess;

(b)- a coin detecting lever including a detecting extremity confronting the periphery of said wheel to engage a coin or slug when present in said recess;

(c) a wheel latching lever including a latching extremity engageable with said notch;

(d) said levers having pivotal axes disposed radially outward from said wheel and circumferentially dis.- placedfrom each other with respect to the periphery of said wheel;

(e) said levers having fingers projecting toward each other for mutual engagement, when said detecting; extremity engages a coin of proper diameter, to hold said latching extremity clear of said notch;

(f) the finger of said detecting lever being displaced.

from engagement with the finger of the latching; lever when said detecting extremity engages a slug;

of reduced diameter thereby to cause said latching;

extremity to latch said wheel;

(g) and yieldable means biasing said levers toward.

said recess and said notch respectively.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM; (A) A MANUALLY ROTATABLE WHEEL HAVING MEANS DEFINING A COIN-RECEIVING RECESS AND A LATCH-NOTCH CIRCIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPLACED FROM SAID RECESS; (B) A FIRST LEVER HAVING A DETECTING EXTREMITY OPERABLE, ON ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL, TO CONFRONT AND ENGAGE A COIN OR SLUG PRESENT IN SAID RECESS, AND A FIRST FINGER OCCUPYING A FIRST POSITION ON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID DETECTING EXTREMITY WITH A COIN IN SAID RECESS, AND OCCUPYING A SECOND POSITION ON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID DETECTING EXTREMITY WITH A SLUG OF INFERIOR SIZE IN SAID RECESS; (C) A SECOND LEVER HAVING A LATCHING EXTREMITY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID NOTCH TO LOCK SAID WHEEL AGAINST ROTATION IN AT LEAST ONE DIRECTION, AND A SECOND FINGER DISPOSED FOR REGISTERING WITH SAID FIRST FINGER WHEN SAID FIRST FINGER IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION, TO HOLD SAID LATCHING EXTREMITY CLEAR OF SAID NOTCH AND TO CLEAR SAID FIRST FINGER WHEN SAID FIRST FINGER IS IN ITS SECOND POSITION TO PERMIT ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LOCKING EXTREMITY IN SAID NOTCH; (D) AND YIELDABLE MEANS BIASING SAID LEVERS TOWARD SAID RECESS AND SAID NOTCH RESPECTIVELY. 